RFP - school-based skill building services

The County of San Diego Department of Behavioral Health Services is requesting proposals for School-Based Skill Building Services under RFP 13283, with proposals due August 27, 2026 and a pre-proposal conference on July 22. The County intends to award up to five regional contracts, one per Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) lot: North Coastal, North Inland/Poway, Central/SDUSD, East, and South.

Offerors must submit Small-Local Business Subcontractor Utilization Plans demonstrating either 3 percent participation by small, local businesses or documented good-faith efforts to meet this goal; however, since federal funds will be expended, a Small-Local Business preference does not apply to award determination. Linguistic and cultural diversity plans tracking workforce composition across specified languages (Spanish, Arabic, Somali, Korean, Vietnamese, Mandarin Chinese, Tagalog, and Persian) and subcontractor/supplier diversity utilization are required submissions.

Services target Medi-Cal beneficiaries and uninsured children and youth up to age 21, with primary focus on middle school students in grades 6–8. Delivery includes outpatient social-emotional skill-building services through small group sessions on school campuses, supplemented by clinic and home-based services, using evidence-based or community-defined evidence practice curricula. Offerors must provide Letters of Intent from school districts within their proposed SELPA region, demonstrate fiscal solvency with three years of financial documentation, and secure Memoranda of Understanding with participating districts.

Estimated maximum contract amounts by lot are: Lot 1 (North Coastal) $5.77 million–$6.41 million; Lot 2 (North Inland/Poway) $5.77 million–$6.41 million; Lot 3 (Central/SDUSD) $6.55 million–$7.28 million; Lot 4 (East) $4.19 million–$4.66 million; Lot 5 (South) $4.98 million–$5.53 million. Compensation is approximately 75 percent of DHCS Medi-Cal Behavioral Health rates with a 5 percent modifier. New service providers may access ancillary funding up to 10 percent of the initial contract amount (not exceeding $150,000) within the first 90 days; incumbent providers may access up to 5 percent (not exceeding $75,000). Staffing requirements include a minimum 1.0 FTE Licensed Practitioner of the Healing Arts and FTE levels ranging from 4.0 to 7.0 depending on lot. The initial contract term is one year with four optional one-year renewals. Written questions are due July 29, 2026.